Bodhichitta [boh-dee-CHEE-tuh], often translated as "great compassion," is the gem at the heart of Buddhism. From this altruistic desire to serve others, all other Buddhist practices naturally flow, therefore, this state of mind is one Buddhists should understand and cultivate. In The Awakening Mind, Geshe Tashi Tsering leads us through the two main methods to develop bodhichitta that have been developed by the great Indian and Tibetan Buddhists over the centuries: the seven points of cause and effect, and equalizing and exchanging the self with others.

This is the third release from Geshe Tashi's Foundation of Buddhist Thought series, which-individually and collectively-represent an excellent introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. These unique and friendly books are based on the curriculum of a popular course of the same name, developed by Geshe Tashi himself.

Geshe Tashi's presentations combine rigor and comprehensiveness with lucidity and accessibility, never divorced from the basic humanity and warmth of his personality. In Geshe Tashi, we encounter the new generation of Tibetan monk-scholars teaching in the West who are following in the footsteps of such revered and groundbreaking teachers as Geshe Wangyal and Geshe Sopa.
Awakening the Mind, Geshe Tashi Tsering, , Wisdom Publications, $14.95

Geshe Tashi Tsering was born in Tibet in 1958 and received his Geshe Lharampa degree (similar to a doctorate in divinity) from Sera Monastery in India in 1987. Since 1994, he has been the guiding teacher of the Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London, while also teaching at other Buddhist centers worldwide.

Forewordby Lama Zopa Rinpoche

xi

Preface

xiii

Editor's Preface

xvii

1.

Awakening from the Sleep of Selfishness

1

The Essence of the Buddha's Teachings

1

The Benefits of Bodhichitta

4

The Immediate Benefits

6

The Long-Term Benefits

8

2.

Steps on the Path

13

Renunciation and Stability

14

Equanimity

16

The Equanimity of Feeling

17

The Equanimity of Application

17

Immeasurable Equanimity

17

The Changeable Nature of Relationships

20

Lessening Our Aversion

22

The Meditation on Equanimity

24

3.

The Intuitive Route to Selflessness

29

The Main Mind of Bodhichitta

29

The Two Mental Factors That Make Up Bodhichitta

30

The Seven Points of Cause and Effect

33

Establishing the Basis for Developing the Aspiration to Benefit All Beings